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Meeting for the third time on the season, the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Hornets sit tied at one game each on their season series. The Wizards are down Dwight Howard and John Wall while the Hornets have Bismack Biyombo as being probable to go against the Wizards after a sprained knee.
The Wizards are 5-5 across their last ten games and are riding a two-game winning streak heading into the matchup. Since losing star point guard John Wall, the team has actually played marginally better. However, the Wizards in their current state are inconsistent at best and are one of the worst road teams in the NBA with an 8-25 record away from home.
Meanwhile, the Hornets are ice cold, going just 3-7 across their last ten games. Heavily reliant on Kemba Walker, if he has an inefficient night for the Hornets it usually ends in a loss. However, Kemba has shown the ability to take over and win games on his own, as evidenced by almost all of their 29 wins this season. The Hornets undoubtedly have some nice young players but Kemba Walker is where the offense stops and starts.
Washington Wizards vs Charlotte Hornets Betting Line & Over/Under
(Betting Line and Total courtesy of Oddsshark.com)
- Washington Wizards (27-37) vs Charlotte Hornets (29-35)
- Friday, March 8th at 7:00 pm ET
- Point Spread: Charlotte Hornets (-5)
- Point Total: 234
Washington Wizards vs Charlotte Hornets Betting Prediction
Although the Wizards are down Wall, Bradley Beal has stepped up in his absence and played admirably as the team’s primary scoring option. Although he often doesn’t have the necessary help to do it all himself, the recent additions of Bobby Portis and Trevor Ariza have helped move the needle a bit. The Wizards still need more consistent scoring help and despite having a better winning percentage without Wall, they need a secondary scorer and playmaker of his caliber.
Similar to the Wizards, the Hornets need some help for Kemba Walker. Malik Monk and Miles Bridges have shown flashes of becoming part of a reliable supporting cast, but Walker will almost certainly be long gone by the time the two develop. In the meantime, the Hornets will continue to go as Kemba goes and against the Wizards, he should feast. Averaging 37 points per game over the first two contests, without Wall in the lineup, the Wizards lack the guard depth to really contain him.
The Wizards are an over machine this season and there isn’t any reason to think that train will slow down. Kemba typically puts up monster numbers and when Kemba is efficient, he gets other members of the offense involved with easy looks. The Wizards should likely be able to set the pace in this game and while they may not cover the spread, they should most likely be able to cover the over. Look for big nights from both Beal and Walker along with efficient outings from their respective supporting casts.
Pick: OVER 234
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